11 Youth Hacks to Move You Closer to Your Goals

Life as a Muslim youth can be turbulent and filled with many challenges. Certain situations can dampen your spirit and affect your motivation. But there are many ways to make your youthly journey smoother.

There are youth hacks you can utilise to get you closer to your worldly & hereafter goals.

You may think you have read it all when it comes to such life hacks. Well, check out the following – they will change the way you view the opportunities & potentials of your youth.

1. DEEP FAITH. As a Muslim, all of your actions are tied to your intentions. Therefore, you need to polish your eeman (faith) with the correct intention. Set the right intention & use the power of that intention to get closer to your goals. To set such an intention, ask yourself 3 questions; WHY am I doing this?, For whose pleasure is it?, What do I hope to achieve from it?

If your answers are not tied to the pleasure of Allah; betterment of self & society; success on worldly and hereafter level – then check yourself. Re.adjust your intention so that you can set the right foundation for your goals.

2. RIGHT ATTITUDE. Delete the word ‘perfection‘ from your dictionary. Insert the word ‘excellence’ instead. Imbibing Ihsan (excellence) in all of your actions will allow you to have a job well done, knowing that you have exerted your youthful energy to the best levels and even if no one sees you with your efforts – Allah (swt) is All-Seeing and All-Hearing.

Seeking perfection on the other hand will cause you stress & make you frustrated at your best attempts. If you want success of the best kind – Paradise, then prepare to work for it in an excellent manner and with the right attitude.

3. PERSONAL GROWTH. De-clutter your brain regularly and download all of it’s content into an idea bank. You can use journals [hard or soft copy] – to bank those thoughts, feelings and important ideas. Safeguard your bank and use it’s contents for planning each little step towards your big goals.

4. INNER BELIEF. Call yourself a success & believe it. Allah (swt) blessed you with a special gift, as each person is endowed with a unique talent. So whether you have it all figured out or not, be positive while you seek out those strengths and talents. You will be surprised at what you find out.

Use a label that will help you cross the barrier of self doubt and negative inner talk. Strengthen your inner belief even as you seek your passion and remain focused towards your goals. Remember that in the Prophet (saw), you have the best example.

5. NETWORK. Engage positively with other creative & productive minds. This could easily be through online or offline groups. Or you could simply create your own mastermind. Actively seek the right company because those closest to you will either mark or make you. With the right company, you can get new ideas, explore different concepts and find the opportunity to express yourself.

So who do you call your friend, buddy or mentor? Will s/he be a support for helping you achieve your goals or serve only as a distraction? Look around you and make the best choice for your networking.

6. CHANGE ENVIRONMENT. Travel when you can or simply change your environment often. Move outdoors to the garden, park or visit a neighbour. The lessons from travel are many, especially as it serves as a means to explore and reflect on the signs of the Creator (swt).

It will also give you a fresh perspective and different ways of viewing things. You will also feel energised from the surrounding potential and interaction with others. This will serve as a means of taking action towards your goals.

7. TAKE BREAKS. It is so easy to ‘feel’ busy these days. Most youth are chatting away on their phones or posting updates at the same time laptops are on with several tabs open. You may find the headphone on and the same person still trying to hold a conversation in real time. Hey…. you! Are you for real?

Learn to take frequent breaks after focused work/study sessions. This could be from a few minutes to half an hour but break the work/study session so your mental energy could get some refreshing boost. Also endeavour to pray at the appointed times, as this gives you the perfect break times and nothing really relaxes and refreshes the mind as prayer does.

8. FAMILY TIME. Spend time with your family no matter what. Plan to spend Eid together or plan activities for weekends/ school holidays. You get the double reward of keeping up with the ties of kinship and in building an emotional support network for yourself. Foster such relationships especially in youth when you most likely have less responsibilities.

Technology makes it easier if your family members live far away. You can make free skype video calls, hold live chats and even conference calls if different family members live in various locations. An SMS or email can also go far in keeping the bond alive.

9. LIFELONG LEARNING. Each day brings with it new learning opportunities – even when they look like obstacles. So dig deeper to find opportunities to learn even faced with challenges. There are many profound lessons for every youth in the Qur’an to learn from stories of the past. So make it your number 1 manual.

You should aim to become a lifelong reader as this will open the door to explore, think and develop your mind in general. Do not confine learning to only your school or workplace. Make it a part of your daily experience & with some essential learning skills, you are set to go.

10. BUILD SKILLS. From building a new hobby to jump-starting an old one, we are always in constant need of sharpening our skill set to help reach our ultimate goals. Work on your much needed skills, one skill at a time – from social skills to goal-setting skills, thinking skills, dawah skills and entrepreneurial skills. What are your goals for the moment – start with the relevant skills in that direction.

11. MIND MAPPING. Mind Mapping is an activity I utilise all the time – for brainstorming, capturing ideas, planning, note taking and brainstorming. It is simple, visual and powerful for sparking your creative thinking mode. From your long term goals, to more frequent reviews and the short term planners, unleash your creative spark by trying your hands at a map mind.

So are you ready to take steady steps towards your goals? On your marks……

Set your goals, make a sincere intention towards achieving them, have deep faith and try to face up to your tasks with excellence. Balance it all with the personal belief in your potential, network with the right people so that you can bounce ideas off a mentor or peers, change your environment often & keep away from negative people.

Your body is an amanah (trust) given to you by Allah (swt), so take care of it with regular breaks. Make time for your family members too. Remember to invest in your learning & build relevant skills to navigate your youth. Always brainstorm & create a means to experience your goals through map mapping and utilising as many senses as possible to engage & reflect. Utilise your youthful energy to make your goals a success.

… all set?

What other hacks can you use to get you closer to your goals? Share below…

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